A Journey With A Purpose
A trip? A vacation? A pilgrimage consists of elements of these but is also a bit more. It is a journey with a purpose, and that purpose is to honour God. Pilgrimages come in a shapes and sizes; it could be as small or as big as you want it to. Personally, I have been on a few pilgrimages including a small journey to the Martyrs’ Shrine in Midland, ON with my family for a day, a journey to Medjugorje, a Marian apparition site in Bosnia-Herzegovina, with 25 other pilgrims, and a large journey to WYD 2013 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with Pope Francis and 3 million other pilgrims. These three pilgrimages were very different b
ut all had the same purpose, to honour God and develop and grow in my personal relationship with God. With this, all three pilgrimages that I mentioned here had a very significant impact on my faith life and were opportunities for conversion of heart to God.
I will provide you with a few insights of how to prepare for a pilgrimage. You probably know that a trip or vacation can be physically and emotionally taxing or fulfilling, a pilgrimage can be likewise and also spiritually taxing or fulfilling. It is important to h
ave an open mind when preparing for a pilgrimage, knowing that whether it is a taxing or fulfilling experience, that you are honouring God and growing in your relationship with God. As Christians, we know that love is not self-seeking and requires sacrifice, so that while on a pilgrimage we are honouring and loving God, which will in turn require at least a little sacrifice on our part.
